Dead Kings

In this five-issue AfterShock series from 2018–2019, writer Steve Orlando and artist Matthew Dow Smith craft a gritty, character-driven crime saga set in a decaying Rust Belt town. The story follows a former criminal who returns to his hometown after a tragedy, only to find the local underworld has been overtaken by a dangerous new power. With Smith's moody, atmospheric art grounding the narrative, Dead Kings explores themes of redemption, legacy, and the brutal cost of trying to reclaim a lost world. It stands as a taut, understated gem from the creator-owned landscape of the late 2010s.